This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Control panels, such as automobile instrument control panels, are often manufactured by injection molding. Typically, a two-shot molding or two-piece design is used. While current push buttons are suitable for their intended use, they are subject to improvement.
For example and with reference to FIG. 1, a prior art push button is illustrated at reference numeral 110. The push button 110 includes a reflector 112 mounted to a circuit board 114. The circuit board 114 includes a graphic LED 116 and an indicator LED 118. Coupled to the reflector 112 is a button cap 130. Seated within the button cap 130 is an indicator light guide 132. An indicator portion 134 of the indicator light guide 132 is at an exterior surface of the button cap 130. The indicator light guide 132 and the indicator 134 are illuminated by the indicator LED 118. The graphic LED 116 illuminates a graphic at the exterior surface of the button cap 130. The graphic is generally aligned with the graphic LED 116, and spaced apart from the indicator 134. The graphic is any graphic suitable to convey the operation of the push button 110, such as an HVAC setting icon. The circuit board 114 further includes a tact switch or rubber switch mat (not shown) that is actuated when the push button 110 is depressed.
While such prior art push buttons 110 are suitable for their intended use, they are subject to improvement. Specifically, in some instances light from the graphic LED 116 may pass over the reflector 112 and illuminate the indicator light guide 132 (see arrows in FIG. 1 representing this light “leak”). The indicator 134 may thus become partially illuminated even when the push button 110 has not been depressed and the function controlled by the push button 110 is not active. This illumination of the indicator 134 will provide the user with a false notification. The present disclosure addresses this issue in the art, as well as numerous others, as explained in detail herein and as one skilled in the art will appreciate.